DRS Rehabilitation Policy Manual Chapter 8: Training Services

Revised December 2015

8.3 Community Rehabilitation Program (CRP) Training

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8.3.1 Overview of Community Rehabilitation Program (CRP) Training

CRP training is designed for consumers who need to develop the skills, attitudes, and behaviors to:

  • assess personal strengths and weaknesses;
  • set realistic goals;
  • communicate and interact effectively; and/or
  • successfully prepare for, enter, engage in, or retain or advance in competitive integrated employment.

Approved CRP providers contract with DRS to deliver specific CRP services. Each contract identifies which services the provider is approved to provide.

While CRPs may provide other support services, CRP training services include (see Guidance for CRP Service Definitions):

  • institution to community coordination;
  • personal social adjustment training;
  • post-acute brain injury services;
  • room, board, and supervised living;
  • vocational adjustment training;
  • vocational evaluation; and
  • work adjustment training.

Determine which services are reasonable and necessary, depending on identified rehabilitation needs, to help for the consumer reach to achieve the employment goal documented in the consumer’s individualized education plan in the (IPE).

You may provide these services listed above during pre-eligibility trial work. For more information, see 3.9 Pre-eligibility Trial Work. in extended evaluation as a screening device to determine a consumer's employment potential. See Chapter 4: Assessing and Planning, 4.9 Developing an IPE for Extended Evaluation.

*Each provider of vocational rehabilitation services must:

  • meet the VR program’srequirements on accessibility,requirements consistent with the requirements, as applicable, of the:
  • the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968;,
  • section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990;, and
  • the regulations implementing these laws;
  • take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified persons with disabilities;
  • include among their personnel, or obtain services from, persons who are individuals able to communicate in the native language of DARS consumers and DARS or consumers who have limited English-speaking ability;
  • ensure that appropriate modes of communication are used for all consumers;* and
  • comply with the most recent DRS Standards for Providers, as published on the DRS Web site.

*Based on 34 CFR Section 361.51

Each approved CRP provider is assigned a liaison counselor as the primary communication link between DRS and the CRP. See Chapter 1: Foundations, Roles and Responsibilities, 1.3.5 Responsibilities of the Community Rehabilitation Program (CRP) Liaison Counselor.

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8.4 Work Experience

(Added 05/15)

Key Terms

Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA)—The FLSA establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and youth employment standards affecting employees in the private sector and in federal, state, and local governments. The employment standards regulate paid work, paid and non-paid internships, and volunteer opportunities. FLSA is administered by the Employment Standards Administration's Wage and Hour Division within the U.S. Department of Labor.

Internship—An experience when an individual explores or gains knowledge and skills required to enter into a particular career field. An internship’s primary focus is for an individual to gain skills through “hands-on” training and generally interns have a supervisor who assigns specific tasks and evaluates performance of skills. Internships can be paid or unpaid—though, if they are unpaid, they’re usually subject to stringent labor guidelines. In the U.S., federal law mandates that unpaid interns must not benefit the company economically or be used to displace the work done by paid employees. See Fact Sheet #71: Internship Programs Under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Temporary Paid Work or Temporary Employment—An experience in which the employee is expected to leave the employer within a certain period of time. The employer pays the employee following the Federal Labor Act (FLSA). Employment of DARS consumers that is Temporary Paid Work or Temporary Employment cannot count towards the employment period used to count successful 90-day employment of the individualized plan for employment (IPE) goal that is required for case closure.

Volunteer Opportunity—An experience in which an individual who performs hours of service for a public agency for civic, charitable, or humanitarian reasons, without promise, expectation or receipt of compensation for the services rendered, is considered to be a volunteer during those hours.

Work Experience—An experience that allows the consumer to understand work culture, work expectations and soft and hard skills of a vocation in a “real people doing real work” environment, that is associated with the consumer’s strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests, and informed choice. The experience can be set up as a volunteer opportunity, internship or temporary paid work as long as the experience adheres to all state or federal labor laws.

Work Experience Monitoring—When an employment service provider’s employee, observes the consumer, makes recommendations for accommodations or supports the consumer needs, and educates the volunteer site employees regarding any disability related issues advocating for and assisting the consumer in communication with business. It is not job skills training or job coaching.

Work Experience Placement—When a consumer gains a volunteer, internship or temporary work experience position in a “real people doing real work” environment, that is associated with the consumer’s strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests, and informed choice.

Work Experience Specialist—The employment service provider’s employee who provides Work Experience Placement and Work Experience Monitoring services to DARS consumers. The work experience specialist must maintain the University of North Texas Workplace Inclusion (UNTWISE) Job Placement Credential.

Work Experience Trainer or Job Coach—An employment service provider’s employee who provides Work Experience Training or Coaching to help DARS consumers learn and accurately carry out tasks, duties, or responsivities. Work experience trainers or job coaches provide one-on-one training tailored to meet the needs of the DARS consumer participating in the Work Experience and to meet the business’s expectations. Work experience trainers or job coaches must maintain the University of North Texas Workplace Inclusion (UNTWISE) Job Skills Training or Job Coaching Credential.

Overview

The goal of work experience is to provide consumers with experience in a “real people doing real work” environment involving work that is consistent with the consumer's strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests, and informed choice. Work experience is an important resource to include in a consumer’s résumé when he or she is ready to pursue competitive, integrated long-term employment. It also is helpful for students who may be exploring options and seeking skills for employment.

Work experience services are purchased from employment services providers when a consumer needs more training and support than DARS and/or other supports can provide. A consumer’s work experience can be in a volunteer, internship, or temporary-short-term paid work setting that meets the consumer’s Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) goal(s).

Each work experience may not be longer than 12 weeks.

When an a single work experience needs to exceed the 12 week time limit to meet the consumer’s individualized needs, the counselor must document the justification for the extension in a case note and obtain approval by the area manager. The case note must include Area manager approval is necessary for a consumer to participate in a single work experience for longer than 12 weeks. The counselor must document the justification for the extension of work experience beyond 12 weeks in a case note, including the goals to be achieved and the number of additional weeks that are needed to meet the consumer’s needs. The area manager must document the required approval in a case note. Area manager approval also must be documented in a case note.

Work experience can be used as a tool for completing trial work, if a consumer is in extended evaluationPre-eligibility trial work. The specifications for Extended EvaluationTrial Work—Work Experience must be used.

Federal requirements for trial work that must be achieved via work experiences include:

  • Tthe number, scope, and length of trial work experiences provided must be individualized;
  • A determination that a consumer is ineligible for the vocational rehabilitation due to the severity of their disability ineligibility decision cannot be based on a single assessment or a single trial work experience;
  • Ttrial work experiences must ensure that there are sufficient opportunities for the consumer to demonstrate and or develop his or her abilities, capabilities, and capacity to perform in integrated work settings; and
  • Ssufficient evidence must exist to conclude that the consumer can benefit from vocational rehabilitation services in terms of an employment outcome, or clear and convincing evidence must exist that the consumer individual is not capable of benefiting from vocational rehabilitation services in terms of an employment outcome due to the severity of the consumer’s individual's disability.

For the above reasons, multiple work experience opportunities may be purchased for a consumer when necessary.

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8.7 Project SEARCH

8.7.1 Overview

Project SEARCH is an international initiative that supports partnerships between businesses (employers), local school districts, vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies, and other disability organizations. Project SEARCH promotes successful long-term employment of VR consumers in stable, meaningful, and competitively compensated jobs by using a school-to-work internship approach for consumers with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

The program takes place in business settings where immersion in the workplace facilitates the teaching and learning process as well as the acquisition of employability and marketable work skills. Project SEARCH consumers participate in three internships to explore a variety of career paths. The consumers work with a team that includes their family and the partnering agencies to create an employment goal and support the consumers during this important transition from school to work.

8.7.2 Project SEARCH Key Terms

For definitions of the following key terms as they related to Project SEARCH, refer to SFP 9.2 Key Terms.

Asset Discovery

Benchmarks

Circle of Support

Community rehabilitation provider (CRP)

Competitive Integrated Employment

Cover letter

Credential

Cumulative calendar days of employment

Employment conditions

Employment data sheet

Employment outcome

Extended Services and Supports

Hard skills

Host business

Informational interview

Integrated work settings

Interview training

Internships

Job development

Job site analysis

Job stability

Long-term support and services (LTSS)

Natural supports

Negotiable employment conditions

Non-negotiable employment conditions

Project SEARCH consumers

Project SEARCH curriculum

Project SEARCH job placement specialist

Project SEARCH model

Project SEARCH team

Standard occupational classification (SOC) codes

Soft skills

Worksite specialists

Worksite training services

8.7.3 Project SEARCH Phases

Project SEARCH is composed of three phases.

Phase 1: Consumers enroll in internships that allow them to learn employment-related hard and soft skills in a real-life work environment. They attend daily classroom instruction that the local school district provides and that follows the Project SEARCH curriculum.

Phase 2: Consumers are placed in or find competitive employment that earns the prevailing wage in the industry and that allows them to use the skills they have learned during their Project SEARCH internships .The job must be consistent with the services and goals outlined in the consumer’s Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE).

Phase 3: Consumers receive retention services as needed for ongoing support after the consumer has been employed for 90 days and the DARS case is closed. The long-term support organization provides retention services during this phase.

Project SEARCH services are provided through a collaborative process in which the Project SEARCH team—the DARS provider, host business, school district, long-term support organization, and DARS counselor—work together to help the consumer achieve the goals of the internship and placement. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Project SEARCH team members outlines the roles, relationships, and responsibilities.

The Project SEARCH team interviews and selects a DARS community rehabilitation provider (CRP) to work with DARS consumers at the host business site. The interview is a prerequisite to being eligible for a Project SEARCH service contract that allows DARS to purchase services from the provider.

DARS purchases the Asset Discovery Assessment for Project SEARCH consumers before school starts. Services include worksite-training for up to three rotations during the school year and end with successful job placement.

The Project SEARCH team interviews and selects the consumers who participate. DARS purchases services for consumers who participate in Project SEARCH and documents the services in each consumer’s IPE.

8.7.4 Steps to Establish a Project SEARCH Site

To start a Project SEARCH program, DARS staff members first ensure that the following partners agree to start a program:

  • Education: the local school district
  • Long-term support: the local authority for intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

The team may begin without an identified host business or community rehabilitation provider (CRP). DARS does not select the CRP. The team selects the CRP based on an interview process with all the team members. DARS schedules interviews for interested CRPs that have a current DARS contract.

The national Project SEARCH office is contacted to request to start a program. Project SEARCH requires that a local partner hold a licensing agreement with its office, stating that the team will follow its model. The school district typically holds the license; DARS does not hold this license.

Project SEARCH requires a fee to start a program. Either the school district covers the fee, or local community partners raise the funds. These funds pay for the team’s training on the Project SEARCH model.

Once the national Project SEARCH office approves the license, it schedules training for the team. After the formal training from the national office begins, the office supports the team by setting up monthly meetings for planning and maintaining the program. While the local school district and the CRP are involved in the daily operations of the program, the DARS staff members assigned to the team must maintain regular communication via email or conference calls in addition to the monthly planning meetings.

8.7.5 Project SEARCH Fees

Project SEARCH Benchmark service authorizations to the community rehabilitation provider (CRP) may be issued using only Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) funds.

Planning is important to ensure that the appropriate amount of money is budgeted for each benchmark.

For the fee structure provided to CRPs, refer to the Standards for Providers, Chapter 9: Project SEARCH, 9.3 Fees.

8.7.6 Intern Selection Process

DARS must receive the name of students that complete a Project SEARCH application so they can begin the application process if they are not already receiving DARS services.

The Project SEARCH team interviews the applicants using a rubric system to determine who will be offered an internship at the host business. When DARS has not yet determined a student’s eligibility for DARS services, the student may be selected for Project SEARCH pending the DARS eligibility decision.

8.7.7 Asset Discovery

DARS consumers must have been determined eligible for DARS services to begin Asset Discovery.

The service authorization for the Asset Discovery phase should be issued over the summer to allow the community rehabilitation provider (CRP) time to meet with all the consumers. This service should be completed by August 31.

For additional information about Asset Discovery, see Standards for Providers, Chapter 9: Project SEARCH, 9.4 Asset Discovery.

8.7.8 Worksite Training

Project SEARCH consumers must have an Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) indicating their participation in the program and all additional services the counselor approves for participation (for example, transportation assistance and purchase of uniforms).

Since each Project SEARCH team determines the length of the rotations at the host business (8-12 weeks), it is important that the team create a calendar showing when rotations begin and end. This ensures that the rehabilitation services technician (RST) and vocational rehabilitation counselor (VRC) know when to issue service authorizations to the community rehabilitation provider (CRP).

For additional information regarding the Worksite Training, refer to Standards for Providers, Chapter 9: Project SEARCH, 9.5 Worksite Training Services.

8.7.9 Job Placement

The DARS3373, Project SEARCH Job Placement Services Plan, must be developed by the end of the third rotation or at any time during the rotations that the team determines that job placement opportunities are available to the consumer because of skills gained in the internships. Once the DARS3373 is complete, the counselor issues the Benchmark A service authorization for job placement services.